Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-23
A PRINCELY PALACE.
A Magnificent Mascot for the
Meridian'S Metropolis.
The Finest. Most Imposing and Grand
est Business Structure in the
State Of Kansas.

Heretofore only the briefest mention has
been made of the Blackwelder & Rouse build
ing; the excavating of the basement and
foundation for which is being made at the
corner of First and Market streets. Yester-
day, through the courtesy Of those gentle
men. we were shown the elevations OF the
two fronts and given, by them, many of the
details of the proposed princeiy
palace. 1t will be bv far the
grandest ard costliest business struc-
ture in the state of Kansas, and with one
single exception the greatest yet
erected west of the Missouri. The
front on First street is one hundred
and forty feet The front on Market street
is one hundred and twenty feet. The fronts
are to be of Lake Superior red stone, gran
tie. pressed brick, iron and glass The build
ing will be five lofty stories with tower on
the main corner and another On the alley
way facing the county building. The walls
of the building will loom above the pave
ment seventy seven feet and the massive
and ornamental towers each one hundred
and seven feet above the same level. Its
height and magnitude, located as it is. but
one block from Main street and one block
from Douglas avenue and in the angle OF
these two business thoroughfares, will not
fail to catch the eve and command the adj
miration of every beholder, but it will inev-
itably be center of business-a very bee
hive. There will be six business floors and
fronts on First street and grand entrance
and stairway, very attractive and ornamen-
tai, occupying the exact center of that front,
and with two fronts and another heavy stair
way on Market street. While the entire
structure constitutes a single building in the
pers pective, and in fact, east front as we'll as
the grand entrance way are defined by pro-
jecting columns which run up between each
business room, extending above the cornice
of the building with ornamental capitals.
The fronts are to be supplied with plate
glass, the openings for which are SO spacious
that the building will permit the appearance
of vast succession of ornamental mirrors,
the columns or pilasterS which define each
business room or section, and which, as we
said, reach from the foundation to
ABOVE tLuc IoOi, 1iC w DC VI
Lake Superior red stone. The second
floor will contain large public hall. The
building will contain one hundred and
twenty rooms, besides, in the upper stories.
every one of which will be provided with
outside light The building throughout will
be furnished with incondescent lights, heated
by steam. supplied with hot and cold water
throu ehout with water closets on every
floor and a general or public elevator. 1t
will have three stairways reaching from the
street to the fifth story and three fire es-
capes In cost, in magnitude, in architec-
tural design it will be the finest building
vet erected in Wichita. Nor st. Louis nor
Chicago could criticise if it were located on
either of their great thoroughfares. No city
outside of those and Wichita and Kansas
City could afford so magnificent business
structure, as will be the Blackwelder
& Rouse building, above partially described,
the contract On which calls for a completed
building by December next.
We incidentally learn that the ground floor
will be so arranged that business room 100
xI40 can be had. The demands of the retail
trade from the surrounding towns and cities
would warrant the occupancy Of just such a
space by an INN ense stock of goods strictly
perta ming to the dry goods lines